Mazoku Puberty
by ThePhizz
Summary: Xellos finally becomes an adult. Yes, it's a wonderful time in a unholy creature's life. Only, what's up with these weird feelings he's having toward one of his biggest annoyances?
1. Unholy

Xellos, stood, poised. An instrument, wet with blood, soap and tears was clasped tightly in one grimy hand. Though he rarely, if ever, was able to get dirty. The Mazoku was filthy. Fur and gore covered him head to foot and a look of madness was clear on his face. His eyes, the pupils always narrow and triangular, were blood shot and dilated and were open for once. His hair brushed against his face and the inhuman creature didn't both brushing it aside.

Wildly, he swung the instrument of death into the shower curtain. A unholy howl rose from within the indescribably dirty tub. A thunk was heard. Xellos smiled.

His smile widened to a grotesque version of a grin and the Mazoku began screaming a savage war cry. Animal from all over the surrounding area howled back and several small woodland creatures imploded.

Again, Xellos swung the brush into the tub and was treated to another scream and a dull thud. The Mazoku turned a split second later, a feral grin on his face. This was it; this was what all that training was for, all those years of torture and never-ending pain!

A large, grey-ish shape emerged from the tub. Huge claws, ones bigger than most people's head, scraped against the ground creating and awful sound. Its eyes, as wide and red as Shabranigdo, darted to and fro. The creatures fur stood up in clumps and spikes and when Xellos leaped upon it, the thing howled.

The Mazoku pushed the wolf thing back, defying every law of physics. When the creature was far enough, Xellos readied himself and stuck the long-handled brush in-between his teeth. Both hands were needed, though the Mazoku prided himself for being the only living thing in existence to be able to do this with only two arms.

The thing stepped backwards.

There was only a split second…There. He leaped. His bag went flying and the velocity of his hurdle was enough to peel the flesh from most people's bones. All of his skin pulled back and several teeth and his part of his very body were left behind.

The grey furred creature let out a moan and attempted to back even further away. Xellos' magnificent leap had frightened the wolf-ish being and if anyone else had been there, they would have felt the same. Without fear and as though his form knew no forms of gravity, Xellos continued to soar. Most bits and pieces of his body were lost.

The Mazoku closed his arms around the being. They both screamed savagely and blood flew in the air. More furry creatures gave up their lives. The two awful monstrosities fell backwards into the tub.

As the beings before him, Xellos fought. He fought for every Mazoku who had lost at the wolf's hands, paws. He fought for darkness, evil, a revolution, a new world.

The wolf, which had never been this close to defeat before, fought. It fought for its survival, its way of life, the spirits of his ancestors.

No words could ever be used to describe the 'wrestling.' The closest things are: beauty, awfulness, death, destruction, madness, life, pudding, birth, ungodliness. The very gods themselves wept.

For an eternity, the two beings struggled. Neither would walk away from this completely clean and with a soul, but they didn't care about such things. Blood, sinew, feces, fur and soap covered the skies surrounding the island and for over two years following, sunsets would as red as blood.

With one mighty hand, Xellos pulled the brush from out of his skull with a sickening crunch. He had no teeth left and most of his skin and all of his hair was gone. The poor wolf let out a forlorn moan. It knew full well that any chance for escape was gone. It had done its best…and had still lost.

With little grace, the creature (the one with fur) rolled onto its stomach, paws in the air. Xellos shrieked in ecstasy. Finally, this was what he'd been waiting for!

The Mazoku stood hands and head held high. Only one arm worked properly and he was numb all over, but…victory! Xellos stamped his foot and screeched. Glass from as far as one hundred miles away exploded.

He continued howling for one solid day, as was per regulated. Everyone from the surrounding islands fled for safety and somewhere, a Mazoku Lord smiled wryly and gave a nearby dolphin a large sack of coins.

When the time was finally right, Xellos stopped howling. Every voice he possessed, even the one on the astral plain, was nearly used up. A lot of his energy was gone, but the Mazoku knew he still had enough strength to complete his duty. He threw down the brush and looked at the creature below him. The thing whimpered and began to cry. Xellos grinned in triumph.

"Who's your daddy?!" The Mazoku shrieked into the creature's face. In response, the wolf moaned.

"That's right! I am!" With his remaining limbs and pieces, Xellos performed a small celebratory dance. The world was a grand, evil place.

But, only one thing remained.

His mission was not yet complete.

Grimly, the Mazoku bent down and picked up the cleaning instrument awkwardly. Sure, he'd been expecting something like this, but still. Using only two fingers was harder than he expected. Xellos brushed any thoughts not pertaining to his duty aside.

As soon as he had a somewhat decent grip on the brush, Xellos stood before the fallen creature. It's once proud body reduced to a mere shadow, the tiniest vapor. The Mazoku smiled almost gently and reached for the knob.

As though pleading for some last chance, the wolf raised a weary paw.

Xellos turned the water on.

" Bath time!" The shrieking thing proclaimed its single remaining eye still somehow purple and for all of eternity, the wolf would forever see the purple.

The unending purple.

Purple.


	2. Marguerites

Ah, life was good. Well, evil, but in a good way. Or was it the other way around?

Zelas sipped at the wine. She'd already had quite a bit of it, but really Mazoku can't get drunk. Zelas refilled her glass while trying to ignore the spinning room.

The wine had been an excellent choice. Fine quality. Good texture and—

What time was it? Hastily, Zelas put her glass down and glanced towards the sundial with her good eye.

_Okay, at least I know its night_. Grumbling, she looked around. Nope, no servant. The Mazoku Lord usually had a couple stashed around. While they didn't really contribute much to the evil cause, the little servants were good for fetching things, fanning her and rubbing her feet.

Those little buggers would come in handy right now. Her feet hurt a little and the air was getting rather stale.

Where was _Xellos_ when you needed him?

Honestly, she didn't know what got into him. True her little bundle of evil had always been a handful and independent, but Xellos was rarely ever late. Ever since that Dark Star mess, he'd been preoccupied. Frankly, Zelas was getting tired of it.

After Seygram's betrayal and defeat, Xellos was _really_ her only follower. Lesser beast hardly counted and she would never 'borrow' a fellow Mazoku Lord's minions unless absolutely necessary.

So, to test him, she'd assigned the priest the hardest and most deadly mission he had ever faced. Taking care of her pets was certainly more challenging than destroying copies of the Claire Bible as he had been doing for hundreds of years. Maybe all that searching had left him weaker than if he'd been constantly battling? Caring for the wolves would snap him back into shape.

If Xellos succeeded with The Cleaning, he will have proved his worth. Her trust and faith would be returned and her favorite servant would be rewarded.

The Mazoku wasn't quite so sure on what to do as a reward. She could give him a bit more power? No, Xellos was already quite powerful and taking power away from herself was never a good idea or in her nature.

Maybe she's let him change his body? Doing so was pointless and the only point in looking like a human was to deceive the lowly beast. But, projecting the same form for over a thousand years had to be a bit boring.

Zelas always made sure her followers were frightening or deceptively innocent looking though. There was no real 'dress code', but she did prefer her minions looking a certain way. Striking fear in the enemy was always a wonderful thing, no matter the moment, and just the thought of it cheered her up. What Xellos needed now that he was done with those humans was to change his form into something a little more daunting.

She smiled. Alright, it was decided. This Friday, Xellos' form would be truly frightening. Claws and spikes would be involved and maybe some armor too.

It was a perfect plan. A little something to brighten her best follower's day and get him out of that odd dark spot. If Xellos wasn't so powerful, Zelas would have completely altered his personality. Moodiness didn't fit Xellos and Zelas refused to let any of her servant be a little angst bag. Maybe Gaav's Mazoku acted that way, but not her or her followers. She happened to have class.

Without the slightest change of expression, the Mazoku Lord grabbed the bottle of wine and drank directly from it.

Of course, if Xellos didn't manage to care for her little wolf babies, then this whole mess were solved. No Xellos meant no angst bag. Of course, no Xellos meant no dutiful, loyal servants and that meant less fun.

After pulling the cork off a new bottle with her sharp teeth, Zelas thought more about her problem. No, she decided, she didn't want Xellos dead. It would be a pain to create a new one and Zelas hated cutting off a piece of her astral self just to create a newer, weaker servant. Besides she was fond of this one.

However, Xellos' grumpiness wouldn't do.

Maybe that whole mess with Dark Star had affected her purple-haired creation more than she'd originally thought.

He'd seemed okay when he'd first come back. Disappointed, and nervous at her reaction, but overall fine and sure of himself as usual. Her priest has been more affected when Phibrizo had borrowed him and made him follow that Inverse girl around.

Zelas gnawed at the cork still in-between her teeth.

So, something had happened after Dark Star.

He'd been doing his usual duties; not doing them would have either meant dying or a major power reduction. Fewer and fewer Claire bibles and other rare works that might give human more power had been destroyed by him. True, he had been doing other things that might distract him temporarily, but after the Dark Star mess there had been no excuse. The humans were gaining power and Xellos had done little to prevent this it seemed.

The Mazoku spat the cork to the side. Something needed to be done.

Zelas summoned her servant.

Xellos stood before her in a mere instant. He bowed low, a smirk clear on his face. Despite having finished with his task not to long ago, the Mazoku had no noticeable marks on him and confidences radiated from every pore—more so than usual. The Mazoku overlord noticed that the priest seemed to be back to normal.

With utmost skill, Zelas picked up a nearby cigarette with her long claws and brought it to her snout. It wasn't entirely correct to do this while in her currant form (her 'human' for was better suited for smoking and drinking) but right now that didn't matter. She twitched the empty hand and Xellos stood up.

Her priest smiled. "Going out on a hunt?"

Zelas huffed at her cigarette and lit several more. "Soon. How did your latest mission go?"

Xellos' smile widened and he bowed his head. "The wolves are clean."

"All of them?"

"All of them." Xellos confirmed. "It was all a matter of taking down the highest ranking one first. The rest fell in line."

His master readjusted the heavy belt around her wait and lifted one of her swords.

"I have another job for you at any rate," she went on.

Doing his utmost best to hide his displeasure, Xellos kept his head bowed. "Another job?"

Zelas watched him closely. She could sense his usual feelings of trust and commitment, the usual confidence and self-reliance. However, there was some…annoyance?

Interesting. Irritating, infuriated and punishable, but interesting. Rarely had she ever felt this emotion directed at her and never from a follower.

"You sound unhappy." She said carefully.

"It's just—"

"Hmmm?"

"It's my—"

"What?" Growling, Zelas leaned forward.

"I just wish I had a little time off."

"What's wrong?" Vacations were something only Mazoku lords took and that was only under rare circumstances. Zelas herself hadn't taken one for over five hundred years.

"I don't…" Xellos sighed.

"I don't know, Master. Lately, the little things just don't cheer me up anymore." His cheerful and arrogant demeanor disappeared for a second and he looked at his master seriously.

"Such as?" Zelas huffed at the cigarette.

"Everything it seems. I've never felt this before."

"So, there's nothing actually wrong?"

"Yes…No. Not exactly."

"…What?" Her dark eyes focused, unblinking, on her servant.

"Different. Things aren't as simple as they used to be. Everything's changing." Xellos sighed, trying to regain control over himself, wishing he could just turn into his true form and teleport away. "Things are different somehow. _Changing_." He carefully emphasized the last word. Neither Mazoku had discussed the losses they had suffered nor what that might mean for their race. Xellos was both unsure and secure in their strength. Until recently, there hadn't been anything to worry about.

The purple-haired Mazoku struggled to make his point clear, not sure what was even wrong with him. Perhaps it _was_ the loss of the power the Mazoku had enjoyed for the last thousand or so years. There was no doubt that the Mazoku's were the most powerful beings, but there had been difficulties lately. The gods and even the humans had grown more powerful and even the high up Mazoku had experienced a twinge at the demise of Gaav and Phibrizo. Regardless of how they'd felt about the powerful beings, there deaths had meant gaps in the Mazoku's force.

Xellos brooded for a moment before deciding to find a safe response. "I suppose I just wanted some time to myself."

Zelas's eyes, even the injured one, twitched. "What's that supposed to mean. " Her face went from being keen to cold and cruel. Xellos winced sensing her agitation. She had seemed interested, hiding her anger and venom behind the questions.

Questioning or talking back to his master had surprised him just as it had Zelas. Maybe spending all that time with the human had given his mouth a mind of its own?

Xellos shook his head at the thought. No Mazoku would let a human affect him like that. It was impossible for any weaker being to influence a high level Mazoku. Then again, there was Gaav and Phibrizo to consider. Both had suffered due to one human. Maybe that was something to keep in mind? Every time he dealt with Lina Inverse, she still fascinated him and showed him how powerful even seemingly weak humans could be. Her whole gang was interesting in that regard.

But, it wasn't right to let _anyone_ affect him like this, to steer his thoughts from what was important, (what was important at the moment anyway? Just his master, that was the answer) nor was it right to be disrespectful to the being who had given him life and power. He bowed low before his master and was slightly relieved when Zelas seemed to forgive him.

The priest could rarely experience fear, anxiety or nervousness, but he understood pain and even helplessness after Dark Star. At the thought, Xellos tightened his grip on his staff. No, he hadn't experienced _helplessness_, which was something only a human would feel. He had felt something akin to it, perhaps. Mazoku knew no fear, only confidence and loyalty.

Loyalty was all he felt towards his master and could never experience anything else. But…No, there were no buts. Xellos would never falter in his responsibilities or experience fear. And never, ever question his master.

Anger still clear on her face, Zelas looked at him expectantly. Her tail and single wing twitched and Xellos experience a moment of pain as some of his astral body was taken, torn, away. Zelas sensed his pain and gave him a feral grin. She did not, however, return the part of the astral body she had taken.

A void filled Xellos and he shuddered. For a second, the Mazoku's body flickered and he nearly left the physical plane his master was so fond of. Zelas leaned back, claws and simple body armor gleaming in the little light.

Xellos shrugged. "I don't know. I'm sorry." He lowered his head and tried to look an innocent as possible. His aura projected the sense of sincerity and he tried to regroup himself from the unexpected pain of missing a few astral 'appendages'. The older Mazoku laughed and Xellos smiled weakly. Though the priest probably wasn't entirely in the clear, his master seemed to have punished him enough. His missing strength would serve as a reminder of his disobeying and disrespect.

Zelas sipped at her wine and readjusted an attractive, but pointless sash around her waist. "Say, how about you get out the big paper fan and make some marguerites?"

Xellos smiled and hurried to retrieve the items his master wanted. After all this time, he had grown used to the Greater Beast's strange mood swings.

What had just happened? He _never_ disobeyed his master. She was wonderful and his goddess and his loyalties to her would never falter. His wonderful master must have really been hitting the sauce considering he hadn't been punished. Maybe that was his reward for taking care of her pets?

"Xellos, hurry up. And I need my feet rubbed! All of them!"

The Mazoku grimaced and grabbed the marguerite mix. Ah, here was his punishment after all.


	3. Baking

As Xellos was punished for his impertinence, Filia grinned and clapped her hands. Her cheeks were rosy and a glow radiated from her. Finally, after waiting so long…

"My cake's done!"

Like she would a firstborn, Filia cradled the cake to her chest. The pan was still warm even through the oven mitts she wore. The dragon carefully sat the cake onto a nearby counter before moving it to a large plate. If this cake tasted as good as it looked, Filia could start selling pastries along with her usual wares. She could open a whole new wing of her shop for a bakery.

All she had to do was make sure the cake was alright. The kitchen was a mess and the sight of it made her feel guilty. In a little while Filia would clean it up, but for now all she wanted to do was relax.

Delighted, the dragon began cutting a piece of the exquisite pastry. Her mouth watered in anticipation for the sweet treat.

Ah, bliss.

While cooking was one of her talents, baking and actually using her oven tended to be a little more difficult. It was a mystery. She was the master of the griddle and saucepan. The things that came out of her steamer were enough to make the gods weep and her skills with the pot were unmatched.

But baking always seemed to escape her.

But not now; now everything was different. Everything was perfect. Filia had followed the recipe perfectly, waited the exact time and had been precise with everything.

She raised her fork high, proud. Nothing, and the ex-priestess meant _nothing,_ could disrupt the utter peace of the moment.

"Miss Filia?"

With a savage scream, the dragon turned and whipped out her mace. Her eyes narrowed to slits and she swung her weapon with the utmost skill and speed. Far too late, she realized that her victim had been one of her assistants.

Filia watched the figure disappear into the atmosphere through the huge hole in the wall that separated her home from the store. Slowly, she lowered her mace and stared. Not good. The dragon let out a forlorn sigh and covered her face with her hands. She'd been so certain…

And this wasn't even the first time this had happened. Just last week Filia had dropkicked Gravos through the same wall and the week before that, she'd attacked one of her customers. Poor Mrs. Wilson would never be the same. Filia had been so certain it had been Xellos wearing a wig and make-up.

"What a shame." A voice said, slightly muffled and indistinct.

"Yes, yes it is." Upset, Filia pressed her hands into her face further, penance and comfort. The warmth of her face soothed her and the pain reminded her of the punishments doled out in the temple. The punishments Filia'd receive when she'd overreact and…

Why couldn't she control her anger? All these attacks were not only bad for business, but she was hurting the people who cared for her.

"You should learn how to control your temper better." The person continued, "It's not very ladylike."

Filia rubbed at her temples. The elders from the temple began to lecture her, telling the dragon how wrong she'd been. "I know, but I was frightened."

"Of what?" The clink of pottery was heard.

"He reminded me of someone…" The ex-priestess explained, removing her hands and trying to clear her head. The scolding and reprimands from elders she could never please or remove from her head could wait until later.

"Who?"

The dragon shook her head. "It doesn't matter. As soon as Jillias gets back, I'll apologize."

"Is that all?" The voice was still muffled and Filia heard chewing.

"What?"

"Well, shouldn't you offer him a pay raise?"

"Maybe." Filia admitted. Jillias worked very hard, rarely destroyed things despite his pyromaniac tendencies and didn't receive much of a salary. The voice was right, the fox man deserved better. "All right, when he gets back, I'll raise his pay."

"Good idea." The being sounded encouraging and energetic, bringing a rejuvenate smile to Filia's face. "Now, can you get me some tea?"

"Sure." Smiling, Filia turned around.

The universe stopped. Volcanoes spewed out ice, and Dynast complained of the freezing weather. Even Gourry and Lina paused in their eating frenzy and became cold inside. In the deep, deep pits of their stomachs, the two travelers knew something was wrong. Later, they agreed that Xellos had to have something to do with it.

"You!" The blonde woman managed out, after nearly a minute of silence.

"Me." The Mazoku confirmed after cutting another piece of cake. "Now, where's that tea?" He gave her a charming smile and Filia saw red.

"Out. Out! OUT!" Wildly, she pointed toward a wall and began reaching for her mace with the other hand. Xellos ignored her and continued devouring the piece of cake.

A blood vessel burst in Filia's head with a loud 'pop'.

"What are you doing here?"

Xellos motioned toward the pastry.

"Cake?"

"Of course. You're a very good cook." The dragon twitched at the compliment, feeling dirtied somehow. "Just not a good pastry chef. This is much better than the last thing you tried to bake. That was just _awful_."

A dent would look great in Xellos' head. It would compliment his ugly eyes, Filia was sure. It might even bring class to the Mazoku's horrible clothes and hideous face.

_Let's see…_

Xellos easily ducked the swinging mace. "Is this how you always treat your customers?"

"You are not a customer!" The counter suffered another blow and collapsed. Unbeknownst to the dragon, everyone inside the store left for cover. The wall separating the two buildings suffered more damage.

"Who says I'm not a customer?"

Filia hissed, eyes read and bosom heaving. "Me. Now get out!"

Xellos twisted around and managed to snag the cake.

"I just wanted something to drink." Innocently, he raised his hands and tried to look peaceful. Filia stopped her destruction to look at him.

"You can get a drink elsewhere."

Xellos paused to consider this. "True, but that would be an inconvenience. How can you treat people this way? No wonder no one's here."

The dragon looked around. The horrid creature was right; all of her customers had fled.

The Mazoku pointed an icing smeared fork at her. "Where are your manners?"

Filia glared at him, hand clasped around her weapon and nearly bringing it up to challenge Xellos' fork.

"I know you never had great people skill, but has being out of the temple for so long really twisted you so much?"

The golden dragon winced in reaction. How did Xellos always know which nerves to hit? Despite everything, she missed the temple and still was unsure how being away from it had affected her. _Was_ she turning into a horrible person? Academically, Filia knew she'd made the right choice when renouncing her priestess-ship. But being in the 'real world' had been quite a change. If it hadn't been for her friends, Filia didn't know what she would have done. But she wasn't a twisted person. Was she?

Her whole life she'd done what was right, followed rules and trying to fix things for the greater good. She wasn't a bad person by being out of the temple. Was she?

Hesitantly, Filia lowered the mace and began questioning herself further. Should she have joined a different temple and continued doing things for the gods? Maybe spent more time around other dragons where Val, after he hatched, would quickly learn proper dragon habits? There was only so much an ex-priestess could do to train Val to follow traditions.

There were so many different choices. That was one of the frightening/exhilarating things about leaving the temple. There was no there to order her to do things, no one to dictate her life and she had all the freedom a dragon could ask for. It was daunting and even after all this time, it took some getting used to.

After all this time…

How much had she changed?

The events that made her leave the temple in the first place continued to circle her head and Filia was sure they'd never leave. All the things her people had done would forever haunt her and she'd do her best to make up for past sins.

After all this time, all that had happened; Filia was smarter and wiser and understood everything wasn't in black and white. No one was always right and sometimes—

Sometimes good people did evil things and evil people did good things. Her clan had done an evil thing by wiping out the ancient dragons-- making Filia question her world view and ultimately for the better.

And Xellos, the most disgusting thing on the planet had done both evil and good things. He'd helped them against Dark Star, but had also threatened to kill her and Lina. Xellos—

Was in her home, eating her things and insulted her! Coming to her senses, Filia glanced about. A few feet away, seated at her nearby table, Xellos sipped at a glass of milk and chewed a mouthful of cake.

From what was left of her poor pastry, either she'd been thinking for some time or Xellos could eat like Lina and Gourry.

Filia picked up her fallen weapon. Her purpose for now was clear. Later she could think more about her place in the universe. For now, getting Xellos out of her shop was the main objective.

"Are you going to leave quietly, or do I have to 'escort' you out?" She asked voice dangerously low.

Xellos burped and sipped his milk.

Filia twitched and made a disbelieving noise. "You talk about _my_ manners?!"

The Mazoku shrugged and wiped at his milk-mustache. "Can I have a napkin?"

"Get out!"

"Can't even spare me a napkin." Dejected, Xellos shook his head. He teleported away—taking the cake with him.

Her cake! Filia mourned it's passing, but understood it had given its innocent life for the greater good. Getting rid of Xellos was one of the best things any thing could do. Filia would miss the cake, but she would make a better one!

A larger one, even tastier than before; and with more frosting! Maybe even with…chocolate! The dragon pledged to continue on with her baking in the future and headed back into the kitchen to clean.

As soon as she finished and began dragging her tired tail back to bed, she discovered Xellos had left her a 'thank you' note on her kitchen table.

Dear Filia,

Even though I can't be with you now, I know in my heart that you miss me and eagerly await my return. Somehow, you'll just have to keep surviving without me. Just remember, I'll always be there. Always.

_**Always.**_

Keep me alive in your heart, as I know you will.

Your dearest Xellos

P.S. The cake was dry.

P.P.S. If you can find what I left in your store, you can keep it.


	4. Changes

Xellos stepped from his chamber and into the hallway. Boxes and bones covered the ground and there was barely enough time to move around in the narrow space.

He normally kept the area around his dungeon clean, but lately he'd been busy. Besides, it just didn't seem very important. Who cared about a little dried blood and a few skeletons? Anyway, Greater Beast wasn't even around to remind/punish him over it.

Xellos paid no attention to the crunch of his footsteps. His hair fell into his face and he walked with slumped shoulders. 'Why had Zelas leave to go on a hunt?' and 'Why couldn't I just get a few minutes of relaxation,' both popped into his head and battled for dominance.

Then 'Why do I feel this way?' joined in and slaughtered the competition.

The Mazoku normally would never question his master and enjoyed his job. There were plenty of fringe benefits, lots of respect involved and the health benefits were decent.

Now, however, lying in his bed and listening to the sounds of torture from the next chamber would have been the most pleasant than being ordered around, even by his Master (whom he'd barely seen in quite some time.).

With a grimace, Xellos readjusted his cloak and pants. Somehow, this body had grown seemingly overnight. His projected, false body had lengthened a few inches, making him look slightly lanky. For over a thousand years, he'd looked about the same; same hairdo, outfit, charming personality and disarming smile.

He'd never had any problem projecting himself onto the physical plane. Indeed, Xellos never had problem with either form and could manipulate his human body with much greater ease than many Mazoku around him. The purple-haired creature decided his master was responsible.

While unsure of why she'd done this, he was pleased over the recent growth to his astral body. The energy that she'd taken away not too long ago had been repaid. And with interest.

Now, for whatever reason, he had to work harder at controlling both forms. If it wasn't for the uncomfortable aches that accompanied it, the experience would have been interesting.

Greater Beast had never done anything like this before. And while he'd make sure to thank her, the Mazoku decided not to mention any of the side effects.

The Mazoku enjoyed the extra strength, but he wished it hadn't happened all at once. Moving around in either form was more difficult than before. They'd gotten bigger so quickly that Xellos was left feeling rather awkward. His astral body had grown very large and he was becoming rather wary of the changes.

Likewise astral body had developed a bigger appetite. Understandable, but it made things a little more difficult. Xellos was almost certain it matched Lina and Gourry's at this point.

Before, a few unhappy people could fill his 'stomach'. A little suffering could sustain him for quite a while. Now he could enjoy an entire town in despair and still have room to irritate a few dozen people easily.

On top of that, Xellos' attitude had declined. Little things made him angry and his ever changing body was the main annoyance. Hardly anything could calm him either. Even chasing down Clair Bibles and spreading chaos did little to cheer him up.

Plus his Master had been on a long hunt and not seeing her regularly agitated the younger Mazoku. Sure she'd used lesser demons to send him a few messages, but it wasn't the same.

Screw it. He'd complain to his Master and see if there was anything that could be done to help. Either by calming him or showing him how to properly control his new powers. It would be like when he was a 'youngling.' Everything new and interesting, all that power in his hands…

A powerful tug and yell caught Xellos' attention and he realized his Master was back.

Feeling slightly nostalgic at the thought of when he'd been 'young' as well as reenergize at the thought of seeing Metalium, the Mazoku headed to find Zelas.

The Mazoku Lord couldn't take her eyes off her servant. She had allowed him to dress and look how he wanted, but this…this was just weird. Perhaps he planned to scare some children later?

The Mazoku shrugged it off as best she could.

"My lord." Xellos bowed and smiled at the Greater Beast. Zelas nodded at him, still unsure of his appearance.

_Maybe its camouflage and he plans on going hunting later? _

Pleased and excited just at the thought of hunting, the Mazoku decided to let Xellos continue looking like that.

Besides, it might be better to no ask.

"How was the hunt, master?"

"Fine as always." Smugly, Zelas fingering her new coat. It was quite luxurious; made of some strange, exotic animal fur (something called a 'Walkie,' perhaps? Zelas wasn't entirely sure) its brown coloring clashed magnificently with the Mazoku's armor and black-blue fur.

"Do you plan on going hunting later, Xellos?" Forget what she'd said earlier, the odd little dots covering his face were becoming distracting. In fact, it was becoming both hypnotizing and unsettling. Where in L-sama's name would that camo fit in?

The young Mazoku shrugged. "Perhaps, Greater Beast." That might help relax him. Going to Zelas had been a good idea after all. Chasing, stalking, hiding and setting up traps…were there anything in the Four Planes that was better?

Perhaps. A bit of betrayal and sabotage was always great. That was always a fine sport/pastime.

Speaking of which, where was that silly golden dragon where you need her?

Zelas began readjusting her coat and Xellos sensed some hunger and impatience radiating from her. Any even slightly ill feeling he might have had towards his beloved Master disappeared and he became eager to please. That disquieting emotion he'd felt before stepping into Zelas' large, main chamber disappeared in an instant. Xellos nearly forgot he'd experienced anything other than unfailing loyalty.

The Mazoku Overlord waved her hand abruptly and dismissed her remaining servant. Obediently, Xellos teleported away and returned to the astral plane. He needed to practice and train to be comfortable with this form.

Later, maybe he could talk to Zelas about the transformation.

A huge amount of frustration, fear, hopelessness and anger hit him. Momentarily caught off guard, the Mazoku froze and savored the flavor.

Then he smiled. _There_ was his favorite dragon. Oh, and look, Filia had finally found the prize he'd left in her store. Xellos just hoped she had an antidote on hand.


	5. Thoughts

Warning: This story goes from comedy to angst-ish rather quickly.

* * *

_The bird that witnessed the beginning of It had lived a pleasant life. His life had been straightforward and easy. Whenever he would mention what had happened to the others, the bird always would start off by describing how normal everything had been before It had happened. He would chirp about how fine the day had been, how clear and blissful it had been. _

_All the other birds that had survived agreed. Everything sure had been fine and simple before It. Even the birds that hadn't been born before that horrible day believed things had been finer before It._

_But after…_

_The bird rustled its feathers. The memories of that day continued to haunt him, following him like a persistent cat that refused to give up, to stop hissing and spitting and attempting to jump even if you were many, many wingspans above it. Only with a cat you could just flap your wings and take off, just leave the monster behind you._

_But With It, all the bird could do was replay that day over and over in his little head… _

What possessed that stupid lizard to continue on with her efforts? Didn't she realize how futile it was, that she was only delaying the inevitable? The gods (not to mention a few Mazoku) were all seemingly against her, yet she continued. Why? What made her think she could defy Nature and Fate and succeed? Was she truly that stubborn?

Didn't she see that she couldn't bake properly?

Xellos frowned.

It was a gently frown, just barely creasing his face and seemed more unhappy and disappointed than his other slightly-angry, you're-in-trouble frown.

The frown felt normal and was somehow easier to project that his usual happy-go-lucky smile.

It was an odd indulgence. The smile he usually projected had a purpose; it tended to relax, irritate the people around him, or just make them uncomfortable. Zelas used the same tactics (although she preferred a predatory smile or a malicious grin and wasn't much for the relaxing people part) and seemed to approve of his use of human expressions.

The frown however was unnecessary. There was nothing to be gained by frowning.

There was no one nearby to be worried by his behavior and to be honest; he didn't really enjoy the frown himself.

Yet, here it was.

Where was his usual happy smug self? The Mazoku seemed to have misplaced it and didn't particularly feel like looking for it.

And his duties as Zelas' continued to grow steadily worse. Instead of finishing things up with time to spare, he would procrastinate and hold things off. His normally impeccable time table fell into disarray and the monster has to struggle to cover things up and finish on time.

Even more daunting, disobedient and ungrateful thoughts like 'Why bother doing this' and 'This is stupid. Who cares about a little wolf fur on her cape, she's already covered with it,' popped into his head.

That sense of restlessness was new too. He had thought originally that the unease he'd felt earlier would pass, but instead it seemed to only be the prologue to his new and less pleasant life.

Xellos had always been a happy sort of monster, but now that inner sun had disappeared. Heavy, dark banks of clouds had covered his skies and threatened to cast down rain, thunder and angst upon his world.

His brow wrinkled.

A few more of the black, puss filled dots that Zelas had noticed yet Xellos failed to see covered a decent portion of his forehead. A few were nestled on the sides of his nose and his cheeks and chin were dotted liberally. He absently rubbed at his temples, not feeling the grease or the slime of his irritated skin.

Silly, stupid, naïve dragon. Completely ridiculous. Why did she even try? There was truly something wrong in her head. She continued to her attempts at a cake, half heartedly.

Still, she had nice hair.

No matter what, he'd give her that much. Never let it be said that a Mazoku couldn't be generous and complimentary.

In fact, he was rather envious of her hair. It was quite long and blonde and very similar to his Master's. Despite Xellos' amazing powers and stunning appearance/disguise, he never had been able to get his hair that ride shade of yellow, the right length, the right glow and shine.

It was very unfair.

The Mazoku had tried everything and had practiced for several centuries, but it was never right. Never.

There was something just not right about a Mazoku of his rank and power that couldn't even get the shade of hair color right. Completely ridiculous—

Wait, he was supposed to be doing something right now.

What was it? Oh right, feeding Zelas' beasts.

Whatever; it could wait. There were more pressing things to do.

Such as watching Filia.

It was interesting to see her counter act with humans. She seemed to have more patience than he'd given her credit for. Then again, he thought wryly as a rude customer went flying through the roof, even he could be wrong once in a while.

Or maybe not wrong, just misinformed. And really, why did he care. It was completely pointless. There were more important things to do…but just watching her was calming. Watching her do even the most mundane of things could be fascinating. One moment she could be so calm and composed, then a little thing would disrupt her (really, was it his fault for being curious about what would happen if he put a little bit too much lemon in her tea? And how exactly was he to know she was allergic to the stuff?), and the sparks would fly.

He should have been just amused by her, the way a cat might feel pawing at a mouse. The way he normally felt for lesser beings.

Instead, he only felt an odd pride and curiosity.

The pride he could explain--to an extent. Xellos considered himself partially responsible for the changes Filia felt and there was a simple, almost 'work-well-done' feeling, as though he'd completed a mission and done an exemplary job at it.

The curiosity was new and complex and simple. She was an oddity among her species and he was just interested in seeing a dragon that was willing to accept blame; like all high ranking Mazoku, he could also be fascinated about peculiar things.

He shook his head, trying to clear it. She was a mystery and working on cracking her open at least kept his mind off of other troubles.

Filia tried her best to move on and atone for things, something that set her apart from so many of her species. Instead of covering it up and denying, she'd tried her best to amend for the past. Perhaps that was what he found so interesting. Or at least what would explain his sudden interest in her. Just that, nothing more.

But there was something oddly _appealing_ about her. At first, he'd assumed she was just a stick-in-the-mud typical priestess, misinformed and self-righteous. Later, after her destruction of that dragon hating town, his opinion of her had risen. The destruction she'd wreaked, the flames of hatred and passion that had inflamed her soul and nearly seared his backside…

Yes, she was much more than he'd given her credit for. The dragon had proved to be an interesting source of entertainment and food. Her embarrassment, anger, rage, fear were all quite amazing things. Somehow, her naiveté only made her more interesting than the others. She seemed to be an odd mix of compassion, empathy and anger, righteousness and bouts of doubt that none of his other companions had.

She could be such a contradiction and a mystery. There were something's he was fairly sure about however.

Like how it was amusing to watch her lose her temper. Yes, that was true and would be true for a long time to come. She was just something to prod and poke at, like an exotic species. And nothing in the last few years had made him laugh harder than seeing her go off on someone, yelling and waving her tail recklessly. And it was even better when an actual weapon was used.

It was just plain wonderful to see her lose her composure and struggle to regain it. Her temper could be as short as Lina's and just as delicious. With Filia, she would try to compose herself and hang onto a scrap of self control. When she finally snapped and turned into a whirlwind it made it all the more enjoyable.

It was like…filling a what-do-you-call it with air and continue filling it until it popped. Only with Filia it was a vein that would burst.

Either way, you could literally see her temperature rise. Her whole body practically was a thermometer of some kind. Or at least her tail was. When that thing rose and became completely straight, her fury was a thing no mortal creature should witness.

Just the other day she'd scared away a group of small children, a large gathering of adults and a few herds of animals just by learning that a new, larger pottery store had opened near her home.

Even the house, Xellos recalled, had seemed to quiver from the amount of rage that poured from her body. And when he'd set loose that giant spider-like creature in her house, all those complicated feelings had disappeared and he'd lost himself in the simple pleasures of causing suffering. It was like when he was young again and he'd discovered how wonderful it was to manipulate and annoy rather than just mindlessly slaughter.

It gave him shivers just to think about the last 'prank' he'd pulled. Her face had gone a glorious red, sparks had flown through the air and an aura of anger surrounded her.

And next time would be even greater, he was sure.

There was truly nothing better than annoying someone like Filia and he felt, in a not truly recognized way, that he had been lucky to find someone to torture like her. With her unique background and odd mix of emotions and feelings toward different thing, she was a rare find.

Sure, Lina was _similar_ and it was always nice to see her get angry and destroy something, but she had none of that innocence and dignity that Filia possessed. Not to mention, Xellos thought, a smile lighting up his grotesque face, she didn't have that golden hair he was so fond of. And Lina didn't have that…yes, _loneliness_ that Filia had. Plus, the golden dragon had something that Lina didn't truly have.

From the time he'd met her, the golden dragon had changed significantly.

All those revelations and decisions that Filia had made and seen turned the girl into a woman, into a mother, into someone that was more than a simple priestess, and it was for the better.

Amazingly enough, Filia didn't seem to notice at all. Or if she did acknowledge it in a vague way, the dragon didn't bode on it long or completely understand why she felt this way. Her mind, like Xellos' though neither he nor she knew it, tended to shield away from thoughts like why they felt this way and instead focus on other smaller things. To keep doing their duty, to follow order and secretly wonder and brood about what they did, what others did.

Only Filia had broken free of that. Had left the path that others had chosen for her and began making her own way.

Perhaps that was why Xellos studied her, noticed little things that others overlooked (he'd always been rather perceptive) and wondered where she'd found the strength to turn away from her

_Masters. Ones she had sworn to follow. Why and how could she…_

her teachers and elders and those she had been taught to listen and obey.

Perhaps it was because she had managed to discover and embrace the truth, to learn from the past and try her best to deal with the future. But where had she found the strength, this weak little nothing dragon that had done nothing her entire life but follow orders…

Like him.

Perhaps she _now_ felt purposeless, even with Val to raise and a business to run. Perhaps she simply missed her old friends and the adventure and danger that always followed them and made it hard to dwell on the past and regrets. Maybe it was just simple grieving for her past life of black and white, where there was always someone there to explain things.

And perhaps he too felt purposeless, like he and his Mistress should be something more. Should do something more, instead of just being suspended in time. Just pretending that things were not changing and that Mazoku were still in control. Thoughts like this had no place in a Mazoku's head though and he did his best to push them away. It never consciously occurred to him that this, this denying and pushing away 'blasphemous' ideas, was something he had in common with the golden dragon that he had begun to study.

Perhaps it was the simply this sudden power change that made him edgy. He mentally clung to this sudden theory like a life preserver, and in a way it was exactly that.

If he'd been human perhaps he would have felt a bit of pity or something more than subconscious empathy for the dragon. But, being a Mazoku that only knew of change academically, Xellos couldn't completely understand what she was feeling, this constant fear and self-doubt, or why she was feeling it at all.

Didn't she understand what a remarkable thing she had done? How _different_ she was?

His recent changes and newly discovered apathy were things that made it hard to put new feelings into words. Instead, he only mentally boxed the thoughts away for later inspection.

The Mazoku couldn't fully comprehend the idea of growing pains. The golden dragon was similar. Both had lived long lives by their human friend's standards, yet it was the short lived humans who could have told them what it meant. Perhaps the humans alone could have explained what 'growing pains' were and what it was like to experience such a thing.

Though neither of them knew it, Xellos and Filia were both experiencing it properly for the first time. And both could have used some advice on how to deal with it.

Look, there she was now, messing around with her oven again. Xellos tapped his staff impatiently on one of the shingles and paid no attention to the birds trying to peck at him.

When would she learn? Oh well, it looked like he would have to sabotage another cake. Suddenly, as he was about to teleport to the dragon's kitchen, an idea occurred to him.

Filia enjoyed cooking, didn't she? They were one of her hobbies. And it was so much funnier and more entertaining to ruin her attempts at culinary cuisine than when she would be working at her pottery wheel.

There was more of a challenge to get a simple pot of rice to explode hard enough to have pieces of pot fly through the air with enough strength to send them halfway across the continent--and still somehow make it look like an accident. In fact, Xellos considered it an art.

People simply had no appreciation for the finer things. Ah, there she was and peeling potatoes for supper. With a smile and a flick of the wrist, Xellos turned her oven far past the recommended temperature and waited for the smoke.

Who better to teach and coach her than a first-class chef such as Xellos? The answer was no one. It was rather sad; the dragon needed his help and was just too deep in denial to admit it. Well, then the Mazoku would be the bigger creature and offer her help and advice. It had to be better than moping and dwelling on things he didn't want to understand. Brooding would accomplish nothing, the Mazoku was certain.

He smiled and swatted away another bird. The dark clouds that had temporarily darkened his sky began to clear and he began humming. Several birds keeled over from the sound, but really, what did a bunch of birds know about music?

Yes, Filia was just something odd and interesting and he enjoyed upsetting her.

For the time being, Xellos would work and try to crack the mystery of what made her tick and the different ways she reacted to things.

Everyone, all across the four planes and the Sea of Chaos, began feeling nauseas for unknown reasons. Fate shivered, the God of Cookery began sobbing while baking a noose out of pie and Death began to sharpen his scythe.

* * *

Lina paused in mid-chew and raised a slim eyebrow. Her completion soon began to turn green.

That taste. That spine tingling sensation. And then…they were gone. With a cough and a choke, the sorceress managed to swallow.

"Gourry, does this taste alright to you?"

The swordsman slowed down for a millisecond before shrugging. They were both eating from the same plate, manners long since forgotten and both had gotten a piece of the same fish.

The sorceress returned the shrug and began to eat with the same frenzy she had before. Gourry couldn't entirely be trusted when it came to things like 'taste,' but still. Lina guessed it had just been her imagination. The food was just as good as it had been a second ago and her appetite had quickly returned.

Still…for a second it seemed like the food had soured in her mouth and her gut had clenched. Her danger sense had begun acting up, shouting 'Beware, Beware!' But no, there was no odd taste now and she could sense no danger from the food or anyone near her.

The red-haired sorceress nearly laughed. It was like the _food_ had been warning her of danger of some kind.


	6. More Thoughts

"Oh, hello Miss Filia."

There was white. Lots of white. As though the gods had proclaimed 'Let there be white!' And then it was. Only in this case it wasn't so good.

It seemed to cover everything, and Filia wondered if for a second if she'd died and ended up in heaven. It was odd because she didn't expect heaven to resemble her kitchen, if only vaguely. And it smelled bad. And Xellos was here. Definitely not heaven then.

Hell then? Perhaps she _should_ have rejoined a temple and this was her punishment?

But no, not the after life. Just her kitchen.

Slowly, Filia took a step backwards. Took a good look at the room. Then a step forward.

Flour. That's what the white was. Flour was _everywhere_. It was like someone had thrown a bag of flour into one of Jillas's 'fan's'.

Filia twitched.

"Or should that be Boss?"

There were eggs on the curtain.

Filia twitched again.

"Either way is fine with me, really. Heaven knows you uptight dragons are obsessed enough with names and titles."

She focused on her kitchen; that was the key. Don't look at Xellos. It was safer this way.

A spatula was imbedded in the counter and there was a pan hanging randomly from the ceiling. It was so close to the entrance of the kitchen, the dragon narrowly missed whacking her head on it. Why it was there, what had stuck it there, and if it represented her doom, like skull hung near the entrance of a village, Filia did not know.

Twitch.

"Just don't tell my mistress I have a second job. Tax purposes and all."

What was that on the oven? A moldy, decomposing horse? A severed head?

"Unless you guys cover dental…"

…Or was it a cake? There appeared to be watery icing on it. Yes, there was the bowl, battered as though Lina _and_ Gourry had eaten from it, upside down, suspended on the fridge.

'Just as the Gods and Nature intended,' she thought using the sarcasm she'd learned from Zel and Lina, ignoring her panic-sense. It may have grown a bit disused and dusty since the time she'd given up traveling, but now it was screaming bloody murder, shrieking for her to run far, far away. But no, this was her house and she would not be frightened away by a Mazoku. Even one such as Xellos.

The dragon could see frosting dripping and appearing to _shudder _for some reason. It continued to do so far a few moments, making its way shakily to the sink. From there, it fell—dived—into the rusty (it had been sparkling when she'd left), splattered (from _what _exactly?) sink. The sink shook. Filia stared at it for a moment.

The free-fall hadn't killed the blob; it continued to shudder about, shaking the entire sink.

Filia couldn't blame it; if she'd been brought into the world by Xellos' twisted hands, there would be shuddered involved (and who knows, maybe in the sink after a suicide attempt as well?).

Oh, what blasphemy and misdeeds and simple evil had befallen this room?

She'd been taught that cooking was an act of love, putting your heart and soul into it and receiving something marvelous from simple ingredients, implements, and your own hard work (and a preheated oven). No matter what she cooked, Filia had always tried her best. She might not be the best cook in the world, but she was a decent, hardworking one. What she lacked in talent she made up for with will and hard work (and perhaps a tad extra butter.)

Nothing like this had ever gone on in her kitchen. Sure, there had been spills, occasional messes and one mishap or two with the grater, but things had been peaceful. It had been a fine kitchen, well stocked and well taken care of. A cheerful place an amateur cook would have been pleased to work with. What had Xellos done to the place?

This was an abomination.

How tempting it would be to just walk out now, listen to that screaming danger-sense, that collection of valuable nerves, tendons and glands. Just set fire to the place (she was insured) and run far, far away with no responsibilities. It went against all her training and common sense, her _pride_, but where had those things taken her?

Into a terrible, hell hole that had once been her nice, clean kitchen.

And with Xellos in it.

…Perhaps the arson idea had merit to it.

She could slowly back out of the kitchen, go upstairs, grab Val and then grab the box of matches Jillas kept near his bed side. All it would take was one quick like 'flick' of the wrist, get the match burning nice, and then just toss it into her small living room.

Her and Val could live a new life, someone warm and tropical maybe. They could take strolls on the beach, (well, she'd take the strolls and hold little Val) stretch out on blankets or better yet, beach chairs (she disliked having sand everywhere) and tan on the beach (again, she'd do the tanning while holding Val or just depositing him safely at the nearest chair). She could teach Val to swim (as soon as he hatched), and spend their days drinking exotic fruit juices. It would be an easy, relaxing life. So much different than the one she was leading at the moment.

But no, it wouldn't work. She didn't tan, she burned. Her sunburns had in fact been legendary at the temple. The sun block had been foolishly forgotten during one of the temple's few vacations off _('"Do the Gods' take vacations, Filia?"' '"…no, Master"'_), and Filia had foolishly thought she'd be okay. She had not been.

The dragon had spent the rest of the vacation laying on her stomach, rubbing baby oil on her red back after a mere hour of time exposed to the sun.

And she also hated sand. And she wasn't big on swimming. And she was allergic to many, many different fruits. And she wasn't too fond of warm weather. Still, it had been a nice fantasy.

So, the ex-priestess re-discovered her pride, scraped together some non-panic-y emotions, and tried to focus on her anger. It was a somehow a safer emotion than either this hollow 'why bother' apathy that had taken over after entering the kitchen, or panic.

This was her kitchen, her home, her nest. Val lived her in relative safety. She had a normal, peaceful life full of sunshine and brightness. This was her decision. Life in _her_ hands, not thoughtless Elders, not vague, cruel, unhearing Gods, not Fate, not even almost completely reckless and almost never feckless friends.

Her hands.

But why did that only make her feel more useless, why did the hollowness only grow at the thought of pleasant times, colorful curtains letting in sunlight, and future walking Val to school, helping with his homework, and selling things to customers who never seemed _truly_ there?

Was that why the site of clay, not yet molded, not perfect and somehow wonderful because it _wasn't _so perfect, it wasn't _anything _yet, made her feel so happy?

Possibilities.

Like Val.

Not even hatched, innocent, pure, life completely ahead of him.

She, Filia Ul Copt, who had once lived as a priestess, one who could never completely follow orders, who'd and probably always would have a little voice in her head asking questions, who could let her emotions take over, who was now a mother, who had stood against what she'd thought of as evil…

Wasn't sure about things anymore.

Like a virus, a fungus, a sickness, a change, the uncertainty had grown.

In the beginning, she had been certain she'd been doing the right thing. Or maybe the _wrong thing_. It didn't even matter 'cause guess what? It was her choice to make.

The exhilaration of that knowledge had killed off any doubt. For a time anyway. So what about giving up being a priestess? It was her life. Buying a house, starting a business that she didn't know a thing about running. It was her life. And raising Val, not sending him to a temple to be raised by people who might have a better grasp on this thing called 'parenting'; raising a child when she had no idea of what she was doing? It was her life.

No, it was _their lives_.

That's when the virus, the fungus, the sickness, the change, the uncertainty, had crept in.

No longer just her. Them. A more exciting, frightening word than she had, could've, imagined.

They were in this together. Right now, Val was just an egg. But in time he'd hatch and be a baby. A child. A person.

Suddenly, all those decisions made half seriously, projects that she hadn't been working on in complete earnest and intense concentration, seemed to loom over her. Bills, payments, her business seemed to take a whole new daunting light.

It was like being part of a play, and then finding out what you'd thought was originally just fake scenery made of wood turned out to be real. And all those people whom you'd thought of as actors turned out to be just as real as the background. The old crone's warts weren't clever makeup. The sword that had been thrust into the hero's lovely bride had been a real sword and now someone was really and truly dead. The poison the monk had drunk hadn't been grape juice. Blood had truly been spilt, lives taken and those people weren't going to stand up and bow to the final applause. No audience. No curtain. No stage.

Back at the temple, back when Filia had been young, the children had played different games involving these little men carved out of stone. Each man had a strength and weakness; every child had enough to form an army and would do what you did with an army. At the end of every 'war,' the winner would take one of the other's men that he'd beaten.

Lots of children would whine to the Elder's about this, saying it wasn't fair and they wanted their stone man back. The old dragons had never made one of the children give back their won men. A lesson was being taught.

You lived with what happened. No 'takesy-backsies' as Lina had once told Amelia after quickly trading some kind of plate of food during dinner. No retrials, no going back and redoing something. What was done was done.

But, she had never had any interest in those toys and maybe had missed that lesson.

Now she was learning it.

But this homely home, this safe nest with its wonderful egg nestled inside…

Was that—

No. Yes.

---what she—

No. Yes!

--Wanted?

No! Yes!

She no longer knew.

"So, what do you think?"


End file.
